1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to disc recorders recording audio or video data to a disc or disc access processors reading the data for reproduction and methods thereof, and particularly to disc access processors capable of providing a function displaying information helping a user to confirm a state of a recording or reproduction operation and methods thereof
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-103407, a video recorder and player and a similar apparatus capable of recording and reproducing images, sound and the like of digital versatile discs (DVDs)-Random Access Memory (RAM) and the like have the following function: the temporal length, as scheduled, of a program to be broadcast or that of the entirety of an image recorded or reproduced is represented by using a status bar and a reproduction location or a recording location on a recording medium is visually represented by an operation symbol displayed on the status bar to help the user to confirm a state of operation.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-111415 discloses that a tape's temporal capacity that remains available after a preprogrammed recording has completed is numerically indicated and the difference between the time representing the available capacity and the total of time of preprogrammed recording is calculated, and in accordance with the value of the difference a display panel has a background color changed for notification.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-135553 discloses an apparatus having a function detecting and indicating an available capacity of a tape.
While the conventional apparatuses as described above can visually display current reproduction and recording locations and the like relative to the entirety of the period of reproduction and recording operations and the like and display a tape's capacity remaining available after a preprogrammed recording has completed, they do not inform the user of information of how much shortage a recording region has relative to a capacity required for recording. The user cannot recognize the amount of the shortage and the shortage of the recording region prevents normal recording.